


A Better Tomorrow

by Gabby374



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Captain America - Freeform, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Hydra (Marvel), Protective Bucky Barnes, Scarlet Witch - Freeform, Stucky - Freeform, The Avengers - Freeform, Winter Soldier - Freeform, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, daughter - Freeform, quicksilver - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:14:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29811051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gabby374/pseuds/Gabby374
Summary: At the fall of HYDRA, Gertrud Schmidt hid in the shadows of Siberia carrying out what her brother ultimately failed. With a Super Soldier in her hands and the power of 'jewel of Odin's treasure room' coursing through her veins, it was only a matter of time until a new form of Soldier would be created. One that never needed to be broken.Awakened by Alexander Pierce, the Asset and the Piranha are bound to wreak havoc on the world.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Original Female Character(s), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Pietro Maximoff/Original Female Character(s), Steve Rogers & Original Female Character(s), Wanda Maximoff & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

_HYDRA Siberian Facility, 1958._

The cell was freezing, but the Winter Soldier lost the ability to feel the cold a long time ago. Removing the _Dragunov_ rifle from his back, he left it by the wall as instructed. He walked further into the room, the door shutting behind him as he observed the space.  A single metal chair was placed in the middle of the room along with various machines and tools that were within arm's reach.  He sat in it with his back straight, arms by his sides, eyes cast at the door that had no handles from the inside, waiting until someone would come in. It wouldn’t belong, someone always came. He could not recall a time where someone wasn’t around.

The doors opened with a squeak and a female with a white coat entered. The Winter Soldier scanned through her as she stepped forward. She was unarmed, he could tell that much, at least with not traditional weapons. He knew better than to believe that she didn’t carry something that could be used as a weapon.  She was tall, taller than average, with a figure that was more on the scrawny side, blue-eyed, and with brown hair that went past the middle of her back. The more he looked at her scrawny build, the tighter his chest area felt. The more caged he felt. He kept his face neutral, resisting the urge to frown. He had never seen her before, there was no logical reason for him to feel anything, especially not to how she looked.

_"It has been a while,”_ She spoke in Russian, but her voice carried thick German accent undertones. So they have met before, not that he remembered. The Winter Soldier did not respond, only watched her until she would demand something of him. His silence displeased her, if the sigh she let out was anything to go by.

_“You were more fun last time around,"_ the woman tsked, clicking her tongue in disapproval, _“_ _More er- chatty. Oh well, let’s get this out of the way. Mission report, Soldier.”_

_“Mission success. Target eliminated, no witness.”_ The Winter Soldier spat out, his voice sounding gravelly even to his own ears. How long had it been since he spoke last? He couldn’t tell.

_“Excellent, excellent!”_ A wide smile spreads across her face, making her red-tinted lips contrast more against her pale face. _“Another step to a better future. You never disappoint, do you, Soldier?”_

She was watching him like a hawk, her gaze never wavering from him.  The Winter Soldier said nothing, it wasn’t a direct question, but the longer she didn’t break eye contact the more doubt manifested in his mind. What did she want him to say? Was she playing games with him?

_“I don’t understand.”_

_“Of course, you don’t. I am simply complimenting you. There is no need to be so stiff. I have a present for you.”_

_“Why?”_ This time, he couldn’t control his facial expression, feeling his eyebrow twitch in surprise. He was not aware that he needed an upgrade, neither for the titanium bionic arm nor his weaponry.

_“You have done a great service for us, Soldier. Perhaps you deserve a little treat. You helped to make it so I figured you’d be interested.”_

The Winter Soldier clenched his jaw before he even realized he was doing it. She was talking in riddles and he did not like riddles. They were just wasted words, a long way of saying nothing useful.

He did not grace her with a reply. His gaze drifted from her to the door for the first time. Her presence in the room felt too long, it was starting to unsettle him. He was used to being shackled to the chair by now, yet she made no attempt to prep him. Was she planning something worse for him? He didn’t recall doing anything to warrant that.

_“You are really keeping up that brooding act huh?”_ She approached him, stopping only a few inches away from him. He stiffened instinctively as she bent down so they were at the same eye level. He could smell her perfume, a mixture of delicate floral notes and rich spices. It was a nice scent.

_“But you can’t fool me. No matter what we do, we cannot kill that curiosity in your eyes. It’s cute, really.”_

The Winter Soldier despised the close proximity between them. He felt the urge to claw something,  perhaps her or perhaps himself, anything to just get away from her.

_“Where is Zola?”_ It was the only name he could recall. He almost wished he would enter. He would take anything over the woman in front of him.

_“He is bringing your present, soldier. Do not worry.”_ The Winter Soldier had to put effort to prevent the metal arm from curling into a fist. He could not show that she was affecting him. This whole conversation was a test, it had to be.

Footsteps were approaching. His eyes watched the door moments before it squeaked open for Zola. There was no mistaking for the mad scientist. The Winter Soldier blinked a few times watching the short man approaching them. The man itself was not what threw him, it was what he was carrying. It was the sound of much lighter breathing in the scientist’s arms, wrapped in some sort of cloth. His own breath hitched. What the hell is this?

The woman moved away from him for a moment.  Wordlessly, she took the bundle from the man’s arms and perhaps handled it a bit too roughly, for it let out a whine.

_“Leave us for ten minutes. Come back with Mukhin,”_ She ordered and turned away from Zola, looking half bored as she gazed down at what he could only conclude was a baby.

_“Are you sure Ma’am?”_ Zola frowned at her, glancing between her and the Winter Soldier. She simply waved her hand in dismissal.  The Winter Soldier could only watch her approach him again, stiffening harder with each footstep she took. He barely heard the doors shutting.

_“Open your arms.”_ She instructed. _“If you drop it, I will crack your skull open.”_

He did what he did best. He followed orders.

He didn’t dare to breathe as she transferred the bundle into his arms.  The new weight,  physically,  barely weighed anything but he was certain it was the heaviest thing he ever held. His mind was screeching to a sudden halt. Nothing made sense.

_“Is this a test?”_ He barely managed to breathe out. He glanced down, almost expecting it to be a trick, anything to explain why he was given a baby. But all he was met with was perhaps the tiniest face he ever remembered seeing.

_“Like I said. It’s a gift. For HYDRA at least. Figured you’d like to see it. She’s half you after all.”_

The Winter Soldier bit inside his cheek, any response from him would most likely be perceived as weakness. This was a test. He said nothing,  just watched the light fluttering of eyelashes on the tiny face. It was a girl, he had no doubt of that in his mind. She was his. Allegedly.  He wanted to concentrate on her face and to not hear the implications of what it meant, of not remembering how she came to be.

The woman chuckled, startling him enough that he flinched.

_“I can hear your pretty brain turning gears. I am married to my work, Soldier. Sexual relations with you do not interest me. It was conceived in a test-tube if you will. Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, but it’s not important.”_

The Winter Soldier shouldn’t have felt as much relief as he felt at her words. It didn’t matter what happened to him.

_“Name it."_ Her words caused him to look up at her.

_“What?”_

_“Give it a name. That’s your gift. I don’t care what it is. I wasn’t even going to give a name to a weapon but I do feel generous at the moment. Maybe it’s motherly compassion_ _.”_ She chuckled as if the whole idea was funny enough to warrant a laugh. _“You have been very useful recently. So pick a name.”_

The handlers would come back soon. The Winter Soldier looked back down at the bundle in his arms.  His metal arm was still covered in flecks of blood and it ghosted above the bundle of cloth, never truly touching. It was almost like an instinct. That arm was made to kill and injure, to destroy. He would not allow it to touch something as small and fragile as the small, warm body in his arm.

He didn’t know that many names anymore. He had vague whispers of names at the back of his mind, target names that he disposed of but they would not do.

_“Nadya.”_ He finally grunted out, voice still deep and cracking from the lack of use. It took a moment to remember the meaning of it. Hope. He couldn’t remember where he heard it before. But she looked like hope. Hope for what? He didn’t know.

_“My, my, Solder. Is it a sentiment I sense? Fine, Nadya, it is.”_

_“What will happen to her?”_

_“It will either become a great use to Hydra or it will be disposed_ _of.”_ She stated, her voice sounding clinically cold as if it were a mere experiment and not a living thing.

All too soon, Zola was back and not alone. Another agent stepped inside and he knew the agent was there to take her away before anyone said a thing. The agent wasted no time crossing the room and plucking Nadya away from his arm.

The Winter Soldier’s eyes followed his retreating back and his sternum became tighter with each step the agent took. _Longing_ , the soldier identified. That was the feeling that got stuck in his chest, refusing to leave his body. He did not want them to take her away, she was _his_. Not theirs. Any other time he would have laughed at himself. He did not own things or people. There was nothing that could be done to stop them, no matter how big the urge to fight his way out of the cell was.

He could feel the woman’s eyes on him as if she expected him to react with hostility. He gave her nothing. He would not fail whatever this test was. Zola approached him and the tight restraints keeping him in place soon appeared. He closed his eyes, preparing for the indescribable pain he was about to feel. He did not need to see to know that the machines were getting ready to be used. The noises alone told him as much.

_“Was this wise Gertrud?”_ The Winter Soldier heard Zola ask as they moved further from him. They were waiting for the machine that would scramble his brain till nothing was left to warm up.

_“It isn’t going to do anything harmful. Chances are he won’t remember a single thing anyway,”_ the woman sounded almost bored, like what was happening in the cell no longer held her interest.

_“Your brother would- ”_

_“My brother was a fool, Zola. A fool that was drowning in his own perception of power, unable to see the past few meaningless wars and into the future. World domination is a fool’s fever dream. You don’t create a future by simply owning everyone and everything. You will always be met with resistance.  You create the future that bends to your will by shaping the world so chaotic that humanity will finally be ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security. This is the start."_

The machines whirled to full power. The last thought that entered the Winter Soldier’s mind was a rebellious one. He would not forget her. No matter how much they would try.

Only pain followed him into the abyss of darkness.

* * *

**Here we go again. Welcome to my new fanfiction, I hope it won't disappoint. I am super excited to carry the story from Captain America: Winter Soldier to Endgame and beyond. WandaVision plot is already in plans because I am a lunatic.**

**Is this my way of saying Fuck You to Steve's ending? Hmmm yes hahahhaha. We are here till the end of the line, unlike someone. Bucky Barnes deserved better so lemme fix it real quick lol.**

**I just wanna say that I am in no way an expert of Marvel, but I will try my best in portraying the world. Some details will be changed to fit the story but I hope in the ways that make sense. Also English isn't my first language so I'm really sorry for any grammatical errors.**

**I also don't speak Russian, so instead of just mucking up everything by using google translate, I will indent the dialogues to portray that someone is speaking Russian and the normal format is for English. Hope that makes sense :)**

**I always love to hear what you think of and any improvements you think are needed :)**

**Thank you so much for reading xx**


	2. Chapter 1

_HYDRA Siberian Facility, 1972._

_"Again."_ Gertrud's voice rang out through the intercom.

At first, neither of them moved, they sized each other down. Nadya could feel the droplets of sweat roll down her neck as she tried to gain her breath under control. The Winter Soldier didn't look affected at all. He stood in the middle of the room with his back straight, posture relaxed. She could even detect the tiniest ghost of a smile on his face. She was going to wipe it off. A moment later, she pounced.

_"Again."_

Nadya used her forearm to wipe the blood off her nose. It stung as the sweat entered the open cut, but she paid no mind. She furiously blinked away her blurry vision. The Winter Soldier stood a short distance away, watching her. All too soon, he stalked forward, his footsteps echoing in her ears, louder than they actually were. Nadya curled her hands into fists and put them in front of her, taking a couple of deep breaths. She was ready. She could do it all day if needed.

_"Again."_

Nadya groaned, pulling her arms up just in time to block his hits. The sheer power of them made her stumble back. He never stopped, never paused to take a break. If she didn't act now, he was going to corner her into a wall, and then there would be no way to recover. Nadya sidestepped as he pulled another punch, finally putting just the smallest amount of space between them. She swung back at him, or attempted to, but missed and lost her balance. The moment of stumbling in an attempt to catch herself was all it took for him to land a punch to her back and lay her out.

_"Again."_

Nadya's legs shook, trying to hold up her weight. The gravity felt heavier. It was beginning to settle on her shoulders like a rock, trying to bring her down. She paid no mind. Spitting out the blood that pooled between her teeth, she aimed an upward cut to his neck. It was sheer dumb luck that she timed it just right for it to actually land. The Winter Soldier was caught off guard which was all that Nadya needed. She struck again.

The fight was finally over. The Winter Soldier was on the ground for the first time.

 _"Oh?"_ Gertrud's voice rang out through the intercom. For the first time since they started sparring this morning, she sounded amused.

Nadya grinned widely. Finally, she brought him down. Granted, they weren't given any weapons, but it still counted nonetheless. The Winter Soldier wasn't that pleased with her smug look for he kicked out at her, cutting through her balance. She had no strength left in her to actually prevent herself from face planting the ground. She didn't raise again. Only now she realized how out of breath she really was.

It was her first victory. Victories got rewarded for. The Winter Soldier's gift was a set of the sharpest throwing knives made of Vibranium that one could have. One of his targets had them stashed away. Gertrud's gift was strapping Nadya down to the chair and having one of the handlers rip open her shirt and draw out a star on her ribs. A knife dug into her flesh and pulled down, following the design.

Nadya's screams were long silenced by the time the blade's final twist connected the star. The ink would come later, but for now, it was already colored red by her own blood.

She finally passed her exam.

* * *

_Hantsavichy, Belarus,1973._

_"This looks disgusting,"_ Nadya spat out, scrunching her face as she leaned against the doorframe.

 _"Stop complaining. You are meant to blend in,"_ Winter grunted out, staring past the white laced curtain into the street below. They were stationed on the fourth floor of Khrushchyovka. The fifteen squared meter room had become a self-contained apartment, combining the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. A shelter from prying eyes.

The room itself was cramped with a bed that took more space than it really should have had, which neither of them used. The obnoxiously copper-colored wallpaper with yellow patterns were grinding her gears by the second day. It was too colorful for her taste. The only useful part of the whole room was the long wooden table that was intended for eating purposes. They stored their weapons on it. Between the hours of observing the target's patterns and reshaping the last details of the plan, Nadya spent time rearranging their collection. She arranged them by size, alphabetically, by their make, by production year, by favoritism. Hell, she even arranged them by their color at some point. They were Winter's though, this mission did not require her to use weapons. Other than the set of throwing knives in a sheath of leather that was snuggly resting inside her bra as a backup, she was unarmed. The parquet floor made a creaking noise in certain spots. The walls were so paper thin that she could hear the groaning of neighbors' beds at night.

It was the fifth day of residence when Winter gave her a green light to begin her mission, finally satisfied with the amount of intel she gathered.

Which led her here, leaning against the door frame that had more chipped off parts than the original white-colored paint that remained, complaining about how she looked. To blend in, she wore reddish-brown stocking boots and an obscenely short skirt with two bow pleats, probably made from someone's old uniform. In addition to those boots she wore not quite "stockings" - they had a zipper and a thick platform with a huge heel. They were quite comfortable, springy when walking, and made her irresistibly tall. She also got her hands on a knitted red and black sweater which was annoyingly scratchy but fitted her well. She looked both like a schoolgirl and not so innocent young adult. The subtle makeup and hair pulled into a loose ponytail added to the charm.

She had twenty minutes to spare before she would ultimately start her first official solo mission. The closer it got, the more fidgety she became, but not from nerves. She was sure it was the damned colorful apartment.

 _"Mission Report."_ The Winter Soldier demanded, his gaze not wavering from the streets below. Nadya rolled her eyes. It was the seventh time he asked that day. She grew tired of answering it after the first two times.

 _"We already went over this Winter._ _I know my mission,"_ She sighed, pulling out the elastic band from her hair and running her fingers through her scalp so she could redo the ponytail.

_"Mission Report."_

_"Get in the car. Act dumb and defenseless. Get the documents. Leave."_

_"Full mission report. Not your interpretation."_

_"Do you ever say anything else or is your vocabulary this stunted?"_

It took her to blink once for him to move from his position to right in front of her. Instinctively, she took a step back, to put the tiniest amount of space between them.

_"This is your first solo mission. You get yourself into a mess, you are digging your way out of it. Understand?"_

_"Of course I-"_

Nadya's words died in her mouth as his metal arm wrapped around her arm and pulled her harshly back towards him until they were chest to chest. He tilted his head down until his mouth was by her ear and his hair obstructing her vision.

_"I cannot save your ass if you underestimate him, if you allow your cockiness blind you. My mission is to get you here, not to get you out."_

_"I won't fail, Winter."_

His eyes stayed on her for a good few moments. He released her arm.

 _"That would be the preferable outcome."_ His reply was so quiet, she almost missed it entirely. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Was it his way of saying that he didn't want her to die? She wanted to ask but her question died at the tip of her tongue. He was back by the window, back straight and to her. It was almost like he never moved at all.

_"Mission report."_

Nadya sighed.

_"Daniil Kot. Thirty-eight-year-old male, 6'2", 192 lbs. No pre-existing conditions, exercises regularly, could be a threat. Lives at Ulitsa Zuykevicha, returns to his residence from the construction site he works at around six-fifty p.m. Lives alone but often is seen in presence of young, often underage girls. Possible links to trafficking narcotics to minors. The target is believed to have obtained a file on the extraction mission of Vasiliy Lukasin undertaken by Denikin three months ago. The mission is to infiltrate his residence, gain access to the files, replace them and leave. I am not to engage the target in a fight unless it's unavoidable."_

_"Correct."_

Thirty seconds left. Everything she needed for a cover was in the backpack by the door.

 _"What, do I not get 'good luck'?"_ Nadya raised her eyebrow, swallowing back the sudden nervousness that tried to take hold. There was no time for such a thing.

 _"No such thing as luck, there's only skill."_ He responded, but it wasn't cruel or mocking. She saw his jaw clench tight. He did not look at her again.

It was time.

* * *

Everything was going according to plan. Even the weather was playing its part perfectly. The sun already set, casting long shadows over the countryside. The wind was picking up and Nadya suspected it was going to rain soon. The air had weight to it, maybe a storm was approaching. She was walking down a path, eight kilometers off the town. She pulled the strap of the bag closer to her chest, shuffling her feet across the gravel. She took a slow pace, waiting for the _GFZ 048 Volga_ to show up. It would be any minute now. She was ready for it.

The bright flash of car lights erupted behind her, and she looked behind her. _GFZ 048_. Perfect. Holding on the strap tighter, she stretched out her hand and waved the car down. She bit her cheek to prevent herself from smiling as she watched the car decrease speed. A moment later, the car stopped on the gravelly sidewalk beside her. She heard a window roll down and turned to the sound.

 _"Need a ride, miss?"_ A voice, sweet as honey asked. Nadya bent down to the rolled-down window and looked inside. There he was. She smiled timidly, taking a strand of hair that rested on her face and pulled it behind her ear.

_"Please? Just to Pentecostal Church? I can walk the rest from there. It's just...I left my jacket and it's about to rain."_

_"Hop in,"_ He reached forward and opened the door for her. Nadya let the backpack fall from her shoulders and threw it down underneath the glove compartment before getting in. Pulling down her ridden-up skirt, she moved until she was comfortably seated. Her knees turned towards him.

_"Thank you so much! I didn't want to bother but it was getting darker and it would have taken me hours to get back to town."_

_"Happy to help. What brings you out here anyway? You're quite far off from Pentecostal."_

_"Oh, I was in Ogarevichi at a friend's and we lost a track of time. The last bus left and well...I wasn't on it."_

_"Ah, teenagers. Always losing the track of time,"_ He passed a comment to which she said nothing. She simply smiled, playing the role.

_"So where do you live? I can drop you off at home."_

_"I…"_ Nadya trailed down, purposely looking away, as if collecting her words. _"_ _I don't really want to go home just yet."_

He lifted his eyes from the road and towards her. She didn't meet his eyes, her own fixed on the steering wheel.

_"What? Daddy beat you at home?"_

_"No!_ _"_ She exclaimed, loudly. A little too fast for him to believe it. _"No...I just- I'll be in trouble for being late. Staying out a bit more isn't going to do more harm."_

He hummed, casting his eyes back to the road. They were approaching the outskirts of Hantsavichy. The Church wasn't far now. Time was running out, she needed to find a way to get herself invited into his home.

 _"How old are you, anyway?"_ Kot asked before she could open her mouth.

_"Old enough."_

_"You enjoy a drink?"_

_"Who doesn't?"_

_"Of course,"_ He clicked his tongue. _"Well if you don't want to go home just yet, we could stop by mine. I recently got my hands on Seagram's pre-1964 Bottling Note. Have you tried that?"_

Nadya shook her head.

 _"Burns like a bitch going down but_ _I think you'd like it. So what do you say? I'll bring you home before your daddy sends out a search team,"_ Kol chuckled at his own joke. Nadya bit her lip and after a moment nodded her head. He put his hand on her leg, just above her knee. Nadya glanced down at it. It was meant to be gentle, supportive perhaps. It felt like a fire.

* * *

Nadya held the drink in her hand, sloshing the liquid in the glass. Every few minutes she raised it to her mouth but it never reached her throat. _'You drink anything a target gives and you're as good as dead'._ Winter's voice echoed through her mind every time she raised the glass.

In the forty-three minutes that she was in his residence, she spotted and planned out all the possible escape routes. Trying to figure out all the possible hiding spots for the file was harder. Winter had told her of the possible spots, but they had no real intel. It would be up to her to discover it.

 _"What? You don't like it?"_ Kot nodded toward her hands. He stood in the tiny kitchen, cutting up the cold-smoked pork flitch on a cutting board. Radio Mayak played in the background quietly. It wasn't loud enough to drown out the sound of the knife cutting through the meat and hitting the board. She watched him, eyebrow twitching lightly. He was using a wrong knife.

 _"I do,_ _"_ Nadya smiled sheepishly, her eyes staying on the knife, watching. The movements were well-timed, the cut going straight every time _. "It's_ _just strong."_

 _"I'm sure you'll get used to it. It's more expensive than just the cheap vodka you're probably used to. Hits better."_ Kot spoke, his voice ever as sweet. It almost had melodic notes in the way he rolled his words. Their eyes met for a brief second. He put the knife down. Nadya swallowed, suddenly the hairs at the back of her neck standing up. Something was wrong, something was off. But what? What wasn't she seeing?

 _"Can I use your bathroom?"_ Nadya asked when he looked away to grab a plate. With the nod, she stepped out to the hall and glanced towards the main door. Her backpack was still here.

Locking the door behind her, Nadya leaned her head back. She needed just a second to gather herself. The longer she stayed, the bigger chance she had of being caught. Her eyes trailed down to the small mirror that hung on the green-colored wall. Nadya blinked. _Oh_?

 _"Fuck!"_ Her back stiffened hearing him swear from the kitchen, blood freezing in her veins. Did he find out? Kol's footsteps grew closer and stopped in the hallway. _"I left Primas in the car. I'll be right back."_

 _"Okay!"_ She called back, releasing the breath that she was holding. Maybe not. Hearing the door shut loudly, she waited a few seconds. Hearing nothing she unlocked the door and stepped into the now empty place. Her eyes wandered down to the backpack again. She could take the documents out now, but was she a hundred percent sure she knew where the file was held? A hunch was not the same as a fact. There wasn't a lot of time, if she was lucky she had about a minute and thirteen seconds.

Nadya made her way to the much bigger mirror that hung on the wall over a worn-out couch. A man as well-groomed as Kot had a bigger mirror in the living room than in the bathroom? Interesting choice. Stepping up to her tiptoes, she pressed her cheek against the wall and used her hands to pry the mirror off a bit. She didn't need to squint in order to see the envelope stuck to the middle of the mirror's back.

Nadya snorted. It was going to be that easy? She didn't wait to reach and pull it off with one hand while the other held the mirror from falling. It ripped some of the cardboard bits along the way. Gripping the folder, she pulled up her sweater and shirt to reveal the pieces of shoelaces she tied together, wrapped snugly against her stomach. She shoved the files under it and rolled her skirt just a bit more so that the file would not fall off when she moved. Now just to replace the file.

Nadya's breath hitched. She sensed it before she even heard it. She was no longer alone. The time seemed to stop moving as she stood frozen in the spot with her hands inches away from the mirror.

 _"Has no one told you that curiosity killed the cat?"_ Nadya slowly turned her head to see that Kol was leaning against the doorway, holding her backpack. He had his eyebrow raised as he scanned through the fake file.

" _My, my. Changing the evidence. That's very naughty of you,"_ He looked from the file to her. _"I would offer a congratulatory drink but you ain't gonna drink that are you?"_

Nadya said nothing, she was busy thinking of all the possible solutions to get out of this situation. She was not to engage him unless it was absolutely necessary. Did this count as necessary?

_"It's a pity really, I kind of liked you. The act you put on was cute, real cute. It's just a pity that I saw you snooping around a few days ago and thought to myself 'huh that's weird. I have incriminating evidence against someone and suddenly strangers are in town'. Oh well, we can't all be perfect."_

Nadya closed her eyes. Busted. She was busted. There was no way for her not to engage.

Her head tilted to the side, there were footsteps coming up the stairs, fast. The target was not alone.

Two things happened at once. Kot whipped out an _Astra A-60_ pistol and pointed at her at the same time she ripped the mirror off the wall and threw it at him. The shot missed, flying past her and into the window, shattering it. The mirror hit him on the hip and broke. Nadya wasted no time.

Throwing herself out the third-floor window was easy. Landing down perfectly and avoiding damage was the not-so-easy part that Nadya struggled with. She landed funny on her ankle, the sudden burning sensation that went straight from it all the way to her skull confirmed as much, but she had no time to even look at it. She had to get the hell out of there, now. So she sprinted through the pain, trying to put as much distance as she could between her and the men. They would catch up with her eventually, she knew that much. She needed to catch them off guard.

There weren't many places to hide, Kot lived in another set of Khrushchyovkas. It was not near the main roads, there was no foot traffic, only other houses and a car pack that separated them. To make it worse, she only could stash her throwing knives into her bra. She pulled them out.

Crouching down behind a car, she pulled out her set of knives. She could still see the main exit out the building while being sheltered from view just a bit. Three men came out of it, but before she could even consider taking them out, another group came out of the building nearby.

 _"Find her!"_ Nadya heard someone call out and the men separated, all going in different directions but still being close enough that if she went for one, others would notice.

 _"Fuck!"_ She hissed out to herself, holding the knife tighter in her hand. This was bad. So fucking bad. If she didn't move, she would be done for. But where could she move? Any direction would leave her in the open. Staying in place would get her caught in a minute tops.

Someone was coming, she could hear their footsteps. Her heart picked up speed, almost drowning out the sound around her. She held up one of her knives, ready to attack. The footsteps stopped at the front of a car. A shot rang out. Involuntarily her eyes shut, as if waiting for the pain of a bullet entering her body. The pain never came in.

 _"Man down! Man Down!"_ Someone screamed. Nadya's eyes shot open, turning her head so fast it almost gave her whiplash as she tried to see who the hell took a shot. There was nowhere there. She looked over the corner of the car, the men were distracted, looking for the source as well. This was her chance, probably the only one she would get.

With no second to spare, she dashed across the parked cars and towards the side of the building. If she could just get to the back, she could use the trees and bushes for cover.

With her eyes focused towards the trees, she only spotted the glimpse of someone reaching for her when it was too late. Fingers gripped around her bicep and pulled her upward roughly, almost yanking her arm out of its socket.

She let out a shriek and desperately tried to trash out of the hold, to claw herself free. Metal fingers wrapped over her mouth, cutting off any sounds from coming out of her mouth. Her eyes widened at the sight of Winter. What the hell was he doing here? It was against his orders. He didn't say a word, only grabbed her arm and pulled her from the metal fire escape and back into the building. With his hand on the trigger of his gun, Winter glanced around for any threat before stepping out into the stairway. With the tilt of his head, he motioned for her to follow.

They made it to the roof.

 _"I thought this was a solo mission!"_ She whispered, keeping herself right beside him. She only realized now how badly she was shaking.

 _"It was. Now it is a rescue mission."_ He answered, peeking past the edge roof to the ground below them.

 _"I don't need to be rescued! I had it under control!"_ The bullet that whizzed above their heads said otherwise. He swore under his breath and pulled away from sight. He glanced sharply at her.

 _"Damn it, Nadya! What have you done?"_ Winter snapped at her while aiming for one of them and shoot back.

 _"I did nothing! He knew who I was from the beginning. It was a setup!"_ Nadya bit back as three men breached their spot and climbed on the roof. Without hesitation, Nadya threw the knife in her hand. The man spluttered blood and reached for his throat.

Before she could even blink, Winter pulled her backward behind him and used his metal arm to shield them from the bullets that she didn't even see being fired.

The roof erupted into chaos. Her knives were long gone. Kot charged for her while the other man went for Winter. Nadya tried to aim as many hits as she could but Kot was unusually fast, dodging her hits and kicks.

Only dodging an incoming hit did she realize that it was easier than it should have been. Something was missing.

 _"Fuck!_ " She cried out, slapping her hands to her stomach and sides, but it was no point. The file was not on her. Where the fuck was it?! Did she lose it? It was a distraction that lasted a second too long.

Kot headbutted her hard, knocking her off balance, and pushed her back. She didn't have enough time to recover and she hit the corner of the brick block that housed the flue pipes with a loud thud. She didn't rise again, did not see the Winter Soldier charge at Kot, to throw him away from her.

The gun went off, pointing right in the Winter Soldier's forehead. A deafening crack of thunder filled the room as he pulled the trigger once. One bullet was all that would be needed to finish the job. It would be too fast for him to react and alter its course. This would be the end.

Except the bullet never met its target. It stopped dead in its tracks an inch away from his skin, suspended in the air by what only could be described as a near-transparent force field in front of him. It had a slight purple tinge to it. Where the hell did it come from? Kot was perplexed by its sudden appearance as well. Both sets of eyes fell to the only other person that was around. Nadya's eyes were wide open, seemingly staring at nothing, not blinking. The sharp turn of her head to them caused Winter's breath to catch in his throat. The piercing blue eyes that were identical to his own, were no longer blue. They were the brightest lilac color he had ever seen, even the white of her eyes were clouded in a lighter hue. Her hands, one clenched into a fist the other bent at the elbow, glowed the same color.

 _"What the fuck?"_ Kot hissed out, his focus shifting from the Winter Soldier beneath him to Nadya. The gun went from pointing at the Winter Soldier to her and two more bullets left its chamber. Nadya's fisted hand shot to him and the same force field appeared in front of her, shielding her from impending death.

The momentary distraction was all he needed to gain the upper hand. Kicking his way out, he grabbed Kols wrist that held the gun and twisted it away. Three more rounds of bullets spilled out of the gun but it never met either of its targets. The target's wrist broke into pieces from the sheer force of titanium's strength and he let out a scream, dropping the gun. The Winter Soldier did not waste a second, the metal arm reaching for his throat next and squeezing. It did not let go until the target became a lifeless body with no breaths escaping it.

The Winter Soldier threw him to the side and jumped to his feet. The force field dimmed down around him as he made his way to her. She was still laying on the ground, eyes wide open with lilac swirling in them. She wasn't blinking. He knelt beside her and moved his flesh hand to her neck, to check if there was a pulse. His shoulders slumped in relief at feeling it strong underneath his fingers.

 _"Nadya,"_ He grunted, his hand moving down the neck to her shoulder. He shook her, to perhaps shake her out of whatever this was. _"Nadya!"_

There was no reaction. He called her name again, gripping both of her shoulders, and shook her harder, with the tiniest amount of desperation. She finally blinked. He watched the lilac color slowly drain out and be replaced with the blue that he was familiar with. Once it fully disappeared, he held his breath, the dead silence falling over them.

Nadya gasped out loudly, desperately trying to swallow down the air into her lungs. Winter's hands held her down, preventing her from trashing, or worse, clawing at her throat.

 _"At ease, Nadya!"_ Winter's voice came out muddled, barely coherent to her ears. It was like he was underwater. Or was it her that was underwater?

 _"W-What?"_ She stammered out, finally finding her voice. She looked at him with her eyes wide open, her pupils were fully blown. Everything was coming back in fragments. She tried to move but with his hold, she couldn't even lift her head.

 _"Stay down,"_ He instructed and continued to hold her down until her breath evened out. _"You with me?"_

Was she? She had no clue. Nadya nodded her head nonetheless and with a light groan tried to turn her face away from him. He didn't allow her. Moving his hand back to her cheek, he turned her back to him.

 _"Look at me!"_ He half roared into her face, trying to hold her attention. _"The thing that you did? Have you done it before? Do they know?"_

Nadya frowned. They? HYDRA? His face was as neutral as always, but the words he spoke, were full of worry. Was he frightened? She didn't like the thought of that. Nothing should scare him.

 _"No,"_ She breathed out.

_"You never speak of it. Do you understand me? This never happened. This is your new mission. Off the records. Carry it out, now."_

All the talking was making her dizzy with the effort to keep up, but the Winter never relented.

_"Mission report Nadya. What is your mission off the records?"_

_"Mission…"_ She trailed off, her mind kept jumbling everything. _"Oh...Never to speak of today, of… of the thing,"_

_"Good. Remember that, they can never know what you did. "_

_"What did I do?"_

He looked at her for a good minute as if the answer was hidden in her face. Whatever he was looking for, he did not find.

 _"I don't know."_ He finally sighed and pulled her up to her feet. She had to grip his metal arm in order to not tumble back down to the ground. _"_ _We must go. Where did you drop the folder?"_

There was going to be hell to pay once they would return back to the base. They both failed their missions. For now, both of them were still breathing and it was enough.

* * *

_HYDRA Siberian Facility, 1974._

_"She's too unstable! You saw what she did!"_ Nadya didn't open her eyes. She was strapped to a table at a vertical position this time with so many restraints that she couldn't lift her head off it. Denikin's voice was booming through the cell. He wasn't holding back, she could hear the growl behind his words. He was furious. Everyone was. There was so much shouting in the background, it hurt her ears.

 _"I'm sure if we could take another look at the notes, we-"_ Mukhin tried to reason.

 _"No. We already looked at them. Five times we looked at them. There's nothing but gibberish. Not even a word that makes sense,"_ The sigh was loud, full of fatigue. Nadya lost track of time since they brought her in. Enough time passed for the blood to cool down and dry on her skin.

_"We have to figure out what to do with her."_

_"Well, what do you want me to do about it? Slash her throat?"_ Someone else spoke. She didn't recognize him. So that meant that reinforcement was called. She knew the regular workers here.

_"I don't fucking know! We could shove her into the Cryo-chamber."_

He was met with silence, no one was protesting the idea. Nadya frowned, was that not where they kept Winter?

 _"Just_ _…"_ He sighed. _"We cannot allow this horseshit to happen again. Lock her up in cryo. From now one we use the Winter Soldier_ _exclusively."_

_"What about Gertrud's research?"_

_"Gertrud is dead. Her work was never going to give feasible results. It's time to pull a plug."_

The Cryo-chamber was already cold when she was shoved in. But every second she was in it, it seemed to drop another ten degrees. The cold settled deep in her bones, freezing her blood in place. Her heartbeat jumped to her ears, sounding louder every beat it took. She could hear it slowing down. She tried to reach for the small window, maybe if she could break it, it would allow the tiniest amount of heat to come in. Where was Winter? Did they freeze him again? He wouldn't leave her here, would he? He was never cruel like this, at least not to her.

She never did reach the window. Darkness enveloped her.

* * *

_Ideal Federal Savings Bank, 2010._

The light blue eyes snapped open into existence. There was no moment of adjustment between the pitch black of timeless freeze and the blinding light of presence. Nadya blinked. Her eyes snapped to the people inside the room. They looked...funny. The last time she saw her handlers, they wore identical uniforms underneath white coats, carried clipboards and pens, sometimes weapons. These men dressed in suits, jeans and sweaters, slacks, and tank tops. Their clothes varied. Some of them even had tiny devices in their hands. The cell was different too, more open, she could see metal bars further away from where she was kept. The room carried some echo as well. She didn't think it was prison per se, maybe something underground. A bunker perhaps? Was Winter here too?

Someone noticed she was awake and came forward, but kept his distance. Nadya's eyes followed his every step and she lightly tugged at the restraints.

"Piranha, you with us?" He asked, to her surprise in English. His voice sounded softer than what she was used to hearing. She frowned. This was her handler? A man in a white dress shirt and a bowtie? Everything about him screamed soft.

 _"Yes."_ She answered back in Russian.

"English, Piranha!" Another voice boomed.

"Yes." She said again, this time in English. The accent sounded throaty, rough to her own ears. She never really spoke English if she didn't need to. Everyone used to speak Russian.

"Any injuries to report?"

"No," Her eyes wandered around the place. "Where am I?"

"Get Pierce," He ordered and with a small nod, the first man was gone. He never answered her question, just watched her in return. He looked more like the handlers she had. Tall, buff, armed.

"So what kind of freak of nature are you?" He grinned at her mockingly. She did not respond. Two could play this game. He was not amused by her silence.

"Listen here you little bitch. If I ask a question, you an answer," He inched closer to her, fast. She watched him as his fingers curled into a fist. Nadya stiffened, ready for the blow.

"Rumlow, are you bothering our guest already?" a third voice entered the room. Her eyes jumped to its owner. It sounded light, too polite to be truly genuine. The skin on her arms broke out in goosebumps. He sounded nice, but she could feel the coldness underneath it. It reminded her of Gertrud's voice.

"Just having a conversation," Rumlow bared out his teeth at her but stepped aside nonetheless. He gave a nod to the shorter man. So he was the one in charge. Nadya knew that a man like that would not put his tail between his legs for just a regular comrade.

"My name is Alexander Pierce. You have been asleep for a while. I have a mission for you,"

Nadya tilted her head. This was going to be interesting.

"Ready to comply," Winter used to say that whenever he was awakened. It sounded like the right thing to say.

"No, you're not. Not yet," Pierce bent down to her level. A wicked smile spread across his face, his white teeth flashing. "But you will be."

A mouth guard was pushed between her teeth and she was pushed further back into the seat. The machine above her whirled to life. Something was placed over her head.

Nadya screamed when the first current passed through.

* * *

**Welcome back! I hope you like the first few glimpses of Nadya's life with HYDRA. I tried to make it as realistic as I could and I went down a deep rabbit hole for hours looking for stuff about the 1970s in the Soviet Union. If something doesn't make sense please let me know so I can fix it :)**

**Also, this chapter made me realize I have never written a fight scene so you might have to put up with me butchering it. I'm so sorry in advance hahaha.**

**All I can say is that HYDRA will play a part in the story and certain details will be revealed later on as the story progresses.**

**Also, the story is not limited to only Nadya's pov. Nadya currently knows and calls Bucky as Winter and that's how he is referred to when it's her pov. Bucky knows himself as the Winter Soldier so whenever it's his pov, 'the Winter Soldier' is used :)**

**But yeah! I hope you like it and I would love to hear what ye thing!**

**xx**


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